Box-opener



J. HEILIGENSTEIN.

BOX OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22. 1920.

1,343,627. PatentedJune15,1920

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BOX OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, 1920.

'1 ,343,627, Patented June 15, 1920.

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BOX OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED MN. 22, 1920.

1,343,627. Patented June 15, 1920.

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JOSEPH HEILIGENSTEIN, OF ALTAMONT, ILLINOIS.

BOX-OPENER.

Application filed January 22, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH HEILIGEN- STEIN, a citizen of the United States, resid ing at Altamont, in the county of Effingham and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Box-Openers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in box openers and has for its object the provision of a simple and economical tool or device whereby the lid may be removed from the box in an easy and expeditious manner and with the minimum effort on the part of the operator.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same con sists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts illustrated in the drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only and are therefore not drawn to scale Figure 1 is a side elevation, illustrating the application of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, with the lid removed.

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section, taken on the plane indicated by the dotted lines i4 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a similar view, taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2, also looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a reverse plan view, showing more particularly one end of the frame and the corresponding temporary supporting means for the same and Fig. 7 is a detail fragmentary view, showing more particularly how the catches engage the top of the box lid when the opener is first applied, the parts represented on an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawings for a more particular description of the invention and in which drawings like parts are designated by like reference characters throughout the several views, A represents a wooden box or case and B my improved lid lifter, as a whole. As shown, this device comprises a rectangular oblong skeleton frame 1, the lid removing blades 2, an approximately U- sha ed lever 3 for engaging the blades 2 with the ends of the lid C, a second U shaped lever 4.- for tilting the blades up- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1920.

Serial No. 353,332.

wardly for the purpose of lifting or removing the box lid and the catches 5 for supporting the device upon the top of the box preparatory to engaging the blades 2 with the The catches 5 are engaged and disengaged with the top of the lid C, by the horizontal operating lever 6. The connections between the operating lever 6 and the catches 5, comprise the oppositely extending transverse links 7 connected at their outer ends to the arms 8 of the bell-crank levers 9 pivoted to opposite ends of the cross bars 10 of frame 1. The other arms, as 11, of said bellcrank levers 9 are connected with the outer ends of the horizontal longitudinally disposed links 12, connected at their inner or opposite ends to the outer ends of the horizontal links 13. The links 13 are rigidly connected at their inner ends to the lower ends of the connecting bolts 14 journaled in and projecting below the side bars 15 of frame 1. The upper ends of bolts 14 are rigidly connected, as at '16, to the outer ends of the catches 5 at the end of the frame adjacent the operating lever 6. The catches 6 at the opposite end of the frame are rigidly connected with the upper ends of the connecting bolts 17 and the two pair of catches connected together by the horizontal connecting links 18. Coil springs 19 are disposed around the lower projecting ends of bolts 14. and 17 to hold the catches 5 against casual displacement when in operative or inoperative position.

The U-shaped levers 3 and 4 are pivotally connected adjacent opposite ends by means of the same bolts 25, to the side bars 15 of frame 1, at points centrally of the length thereof. Lever 3 is connected at its ends by the two pair of oppositely extending longitudinally disposed links 26 and 27 with the ends of the lifting blades 2, while lever 4 is connected by the two pair of substantially parallel links 28 and the two pair of diagonally disposed intersecting links 29 with opposite ends of the vertically disposed diamond shaped tilting heads 30. The tilting heads 30 are formed with the central hori zontal elongated slots 31 which receive the ends of the lifting blades 2 and are of sufficiont length to allow a limited inward horizontal sliding movement of said blades, the purpose of which will presently appear.

In practice, to remove the lid from a wooden box or case, the frame 1 is first placed over the top of the box, as shown in the drawings, and the catches 5 engaged with the top of the box lid by swinging the horizontal operating lever 6 in, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2, whereby the device is supported in place. The lJ-shaped lever 3 is then swung inwardly to slide the inner edges of the lifting blades 2 inwardly under the ends of the box lid (see Figs. 3 and l), after which operation, the horizontal oper ating lever 6 is swung out, to move the catches 5 into a position parallel with the sides of the box. This disengages the catches from the box lid and removes their interference with the lifting or removing of the latter. Lever 4: is then swung into the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, which swings the tilting heads 30 and tilts the blades 2 upwardly at an angle of approximately 45 degrees, whereby the lid '0 is raised or lifted from the top of the box or case without going through the usual laborious'effort now required.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings, it is thought that the construction, operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood witho'u't requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principles or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I 1. In a box lid lifter, horizontal lifting blades, means for sliding the blades under the ends of the box lid and means for tilting the blades upwardly to lift the lid from the box.

2. In a box opener, horizontal lifting blades, means for sliding the blades under the ends of the box lid, means for tilting the lad'es upwardly to lift the lid from the box slidably mounted on opposite ends thereof,v

means for sliding the blades inwardly under the ends of the lid of the box and means for tilting the blades upwardly when so engaged to lift the lid from the top of the box.

4. In a box opener, a rectangular frame, a pair of horizontal lifting blades mounted on opposite ends of said frame, means for sliding the blades inwardly under theends of the box lid, means for tilting the blades upwardly when so engaged to lift the lid from the boxand means for supporting the device upon the top of the box preparatory to engaging the lifting blades with the lid.

5. In a box opener, a rectanglar frame, a pair of horizontal lifting blades mounted on opposite ends thereof, manually operated meansfor simultaneously sliding the bl'ades inwardly under the ends of the box lid, other manually operated means for simultaneously tilting the blades upwardly to lift the lid from the box and means for supporting the device uponthe top :of the box preparatory to engaging the lifting blades with the lid thereof. 7 I

In a box opener, a rectanglar frame, a pair of horizontal lifting blades mounted on opposite ends thereof, manually operated means for simultaneously sliding the blades inwardly under theends of the box lid,-other manually operated means for simultane ously tilting the blades upwardly to lift the lid from the box, catches for su-ppor'ting the device as a whole upon the top of the box preparatory to engaging the blades with the box lid and manually operated means for throwing the catches into operative or inoperative position. I

In testimony whereofl aflix my signautre.

JOSEPH HEILIGENSTEIN. 

